Tristan’s POVI paced back and forth in my room, the sound of Laleh's heels clicking against the marble floor echoing in the room. I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had been following me since my meeting with the witch."Are you sure this dinner is a good idea, Tristen?" Laleh's voice cut through my thoughts. "The last time we gathered the elites, things didn't exactly go as planned."I turned to face her, a faint smile playing at the corners of my lips. "I have a feeling things will be different this time, Laleh. We need to show our strength and unity to maintain my position as alpha."Laleh nodded, her expression serious. "You're right. We need to keep a close eye on Zander. He's a wildcard and we can't afford any slip-ups."Just as I was about to respond, a sentinel burst into the room, panting heavily. "Alpha Tristan, there's been a murder at the pack's boundaries. One of the pack members you sent out was found dead and mutilated."A vein popped in my head at the new

SELENA’ s POVI try to keep my breathing steady, but my heart is pounding in my chest. I can feel the sweat on my palms and forehead, and I know that everyone in the room can see how nervous I am. This is the same ballroom where Laleh and her minions humiliated me, it was also close to the room where I first met Tristen, where he tried to force me to mate with him. The memories were still fresh, still painful.But I don't have a choice. I have to be here. I have to bow before Tristan and show my respect, even if it's the last thing I want to do. I take a deep breath and walk towards the front of the room, feeling the eyes of the other wolves on me. I try to ignore their stares and focus on Tristan, who is seated at the center of the room.I fall on my knees and begin to speak, my voice shaking. "Alpha Tristan, it is an honor to be in your presence. I humbly offer my respects to you and to the pack."Tristan doesn't even look at me. He's engrossed in a conversation with Laleh, who is

Selena’s POV I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't really phantom why I was seeing Zander in this dream. It's not like we ever met when we were kids. The first time we met was the day he saved me from the rogue.I mean, I'd understand if it was Tristan in this dream because he had been the complete nightmare in my life and he was related to why I could be having a fever dream about my dead mother and sister.I gently walked towards him, careful not to make any noise or trip him off. My heart thundered in my chest in fear because I didn't know what to expect from him. Around this time, all I knew about him was what the rumors said. That he was a wild monster cursed with a rabid wolf.I swallowed, hiking my basket up in my arms and trying to be very gentle and quiet as I inched closer. He suddenly turned and gazed at me, emerald green eyes the color of lush fields blinked up at me in uncertainty… and all that fear I had went flushing down the drain.There was something calm and soothi

Selena’s POVI looked down at the small, shiny black seeds in my hand, feeling a mix of curiosity and suspicion. Nightshade was not something one kept on hand unless they had a nefarious purpose for it. And yet, here it was, in the possession of a concubine."What do you think, Ana?" I asked, holding out the seeds for her to examine.Ana leaned in, her bright green eyes scanning the seeds carefully. "Definitely nightshade," she said with a frown. "But why would a concubine have something like this?""Maybe she's planning to take out the competition," Roy chimed in with a smirk.I rolled my eyes at him. "Very helpful, Roy. But seriously, we need to figure out what's going on here."Ana nodded in agreement. "Maybe we should check her room for any other suspicious items."I handed her the seeds. "You do that. I'll keep an eye on things here."As Ana hurried off, I turned to Roy. "So, any thoughts on why a concubine would have nightshade?"Roy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "She's obvious

SELENA’S POVAs we approached the sick alpha's room, I couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. This was the first time I was breaking into someone's room and it just so happened to be the alpha's."Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ana whispered, looking around nervously."We've already come this far to back out now," I reasoned.Roy, who was standing at the door with the duplicate key, motioned for us to come over. He inserted the key into the lock and turned it slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible.The door creaked as it opened, and we all held our breaths. But there was no sound coming from inside the room.As I sneak into the alpha's room with Ana and Roy, I can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. The room looks exactly the same as I remember it from when I was a child. The only difference now is that the once strong alpha is now a shadow of himself, lying in bed and hooked up to different machines.I inspect the room, looking for anything suspicious, while